Karl Anthony-Towns Joked After Knicks-Pistons Bizarre Game 3 Finish

Shoutout to the table.

Apr 24, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) celebrates a three point basket in the first half against the Detroit Pistons during game three of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The final few seconds of the Game 3 battle between the New York Knicks and the Detroit Pistons were anything but typical. Karl Anthony-Towns felt good enough after his team’s victory to crack a joke after the Pistons landed in a favorable situation as they grew desperate.

“I ain’t gonna lie to you—shoutout to the table, man!” Towns told the broadcast. “Giving your team another chance like that is fire. I got to give them a lot of respect for that. I ain’t never seen that in 10 years.”

LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 🤣 🤣 🤣 pic.twitter.com/cktWidtUWU

— Rit Holtzman (@BenRitholtzNBA) April 25, 2025

As Knicks star Jalen Brunson went to the charity stripe for two shots after an intentional foul, he was instructed to make one and miss the other. Brunson followed the plan. As the Pistons worked for the rebound, preparing to launch a near-full-court shot, the buzzer went off before they even picked up possession of the ball.

Since the clock shouldn’t have been running, game officials needed to review the sequence. The Pistons ended up getting a chance to inbound the ball a little closer than where they would’ve collected the rebound. As Detroit attempted to get the ball in Cade Cunningham’s hands for a final three-pointer, a bad pass from Jalen Duren resulted in a turnover.

It was curtains at that point.

Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson discussed the clock malfunction situation at the end of Game 3:

KAT: "10 years I ain't never seen that. They gave 'em a chance. I got nothing but respect for that"

Brunson: "They need a raise for that. Smart on their part" pic.twitter.com/K1KlniEbjk

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 25, 2025

“They gave them a chance,” Towns said once again during his postgame presser. “Shoutout to them! I got nothing but respect for that.”

Towns probably wouldn’t feel the same way if the Knicks ended up on the wrong side of the scoreboard after that, but the game ended with a 118-116 Knicks win. Picking up Game 3 on the road, the Knicks take a 2-1 lead in the series, which picks back up on Sunday afternoon in Detroit.